China's airlines bolstered during weeklong holiday

China's civil aviation industry enjoyed a boost during the seven-day National Day holiday, with 5.98 million trips made by air during the period, up 5.2 percent year-on-year, official figures showed. The total number of flights during the period hit 42,263, an increase of 8.2 percent over the same period last year, according to an online statement issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The statement said the average occupancy rate of flights that took off on Oct. 1 exceeded 80 percent, while flights that took place during the rest of the holiday hovered around 78 or 79 percent. While traditionally favored cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu remained the most attractive destinations, airlines in west China also saw a boom during the period, with the occupancy rate of the flights departing from the cities of Urumqi, Xining, Lhasa and Yinchuan exceeding 80 percent for seven consecutive days, the statement said.